Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1887-04-29
KING
Solomon S Mines.
By II. RIDER HAGGAED.

Scragga" (whom at that moment it would
have given me much pleasure to shoot.
On hearing this suggestion Scragga gave
sort of a howl, and bolted into the hut.
Twala frowned majestically; the sugges-
ton did not please him.
Let young OK be driven in, he said.
Two men at once departed, running swift
ly.
Now, Sir Henry said /, ''do you shoot
want To show this ruffi1n that am not the
only magician of the party"
Sir Henry accordingly took the express"
and made ready.
II hope | shall make a good shot," he
groaned.
you must" answered. "lf you miss
with the first barrel, let him have the second.
Sight for one hundred and fifty yards, and
wait till the beast turns broadside on"
Then came a pause, till presently we
caught sight of an OK running straight for
the kraal gate. Il came on through the gate
and then, catching sight Of the vast con-
course of people, stopped stupidity, turned
round and beloved
'Now's your time, whispered
Up went the rifle.
Bang thud and the OK was kicking on
his back shot in the ribs. The semi-IIOllow
bullet had done its work well, and sigh OF
establishment went up frCm the assembled
thousands.
| turned cOOlly round
Have he'd Oh, king?'
NAY, white man, il Is n TRUTH was the
somewhat awci answer.
Listen, Twala," | went on. Thou hast
seen Now know we come in peace, not in
war See here (and / held up the Win
chester repeater; here is a hollow staff
that shall enable you ~ kill even as we Kill,
only this charm lay upon it, thou Shalt kill
no man with it. II thou liftcst it against
man ii shall kill thee. Stay, will show thee.
Bid u man step forty PAGES and place the
shaft Of a spear in the ground 50 that the Hat
blade looks toward us"
In few seconds it was Gone.
Now, see, will break the spear"
Taking careful sight fri The bullet
struck the Hat Of the spear, and broke the
blade ~ fragments,
Again the sigh of establishment went up.
Now TWala' (handug him the Ii.le),
"ths magic tube wc give to thee, and by and
by will show thee how 10 use it but be-
ware how thOu lrscst the magic Of the stars
against 4 man OF earth" and handed him
the rifle lie took it very Eingrrly, and laid
il down nj his feet As he did 50 | observed
the wilcurd monkey like figure creeping up
from the shallow of the hut IT crcpt on all
tours, but when II reached tie place where
the king sat it rose upon its feet, and throw
ing the furry covering of its face, revealed a
most extraordinary and weird counteuancc
II was apparently that Of woman OF
great age. 50 slrunlen that in size it was no
longer than than that of a ycar-Old child,
aud was made up Of a collection of deep yell
low wrinkles. Set in the wrinkles was 4
aunkcn slit, that represented the mouth be-
meath which the chin curved outward 10 a
point There was 10 nose To speak Of in
deed the whole countenancc might have
been taken for that of "A sun-dricd corpse had
1t not been for pair Of large black eyes
still tul OF fire and Intelligence, which
cleaned and played under the snow-whte
eyebrows, and the projecting parchment
co!C:cd skull, like jewels in a charuelhOuSe.
As for the skull itself, It was perfectly bare,
and yellow in hue
The figure 10 whom this fearful Conntcn-
ance, which caused shlyer OF fear to pass
through as rs we gaZcd on H. belonged,
stood still for a moment, and then suddenly
projected Il skinny claw armed with nails
nearly an inch long and laid il on the should
or Of Twala, the king, and began to speak in
thin, piercing voice:
Listen, O king! Listen, o peOplci Lis
ten, mountains and plains and rivers,
home of the kuliuana raccl Listen, q skies
and sun. rain and storm and mist! Lis
ten, all things must live and dicl Listen, all
dead things that must hive to die again! Lis
ten, the spirit of life is in me and | prophe-
syP'
The words died away in a FAINT wall and
terror seemed to seize upon the hearts of all
who heard them, includin5 ourselves. The
old woman was very terrible
Blood blood blood! rivers OF blood;
blood everywhere. | see it, | smell it, l
taste lit Is salt; il runs red upon the
ground, 1t rains down from the skies
'Foo!stepsl iootStepSl footstepsi the
tread of the white man comes from afar. Ii
shakes the earth; the earth trembles before
her master.
Blood is good, the red blood is bright;
there is no smell like the smell of new-shed
blood. The lions shall lap 1t and roar, the
Vul;urcs shall wash their wings in it, and
Shrek with JOY.
Il am oldl am oIdl | have seen much
blood; In, hal but shall see more ere die,
aud be merry. How cid am |, think We?
Your fathers knew me and their fathers
knew me, and :hctr fathers fathers. | have
seen the white man, and know his desires. |
am old but the mountains are older than
|. Who made the great road, tell NE? Who
wrote IN pictures on the rocks, tell me- Who
reared up the three silent ones yondy, who
gaze across the pit, tellm (And she point
ed toward tho three PERCEPTIONS mountains
we had noticed ON the previous mighty
'No know not, but know. 1t was Il white
people who were before We are, who shall be
NaA ara ~ N,b l,r1I 81 ,,,,l
destroy ye. Yea! yea, yea
And what cam0 they tor the white ones
the terrible ones, the skilled in magic and all
learning, tho strong, the uuSwerving? What
IS that bright stone upon thy forehead, U
king? Whose hands made the iron gar
mcntS upon thy breast, O king? We know
not, but know. | the old one, | the wise
one | the isnnusi!' (Which doctrcSs)
Then she turned her bald vulture head to-
ward us
What seek ye, white men of the stars
ah YES. of the stars DO We seek a lost enc?
We shall not find him here. lie is not hero.
Never for ages upon ages has 4 white foot
pressed this land, never but once, and he left
it but TO die. Gc come for bright stones: We
shall find them when the blood Is dry; but
shall yc return from whence We came. or
shall We stop with me" lla? ha! ha,
And thou, thou with the dark skin and
proud bearing ponting her skinny finger
ut Umhopal, who art thou and what SeckeSt
thou@ Not stones that shine not yellow metal
that CLEANS; that thou lcavcSt 10 white
men from the stars Mcthjuks | know thee;
methinks can smell the smell OF the blood
IN thy veins. Sripoif the girdlc-"
Hero the features of this extraordinary
creature became convulScd, and she fell
70 the ground foaming in an eplcptic tit,
and WAS carried oil into the hut
The king rose up trembling. and waved his
hand, instantly the regiments began 10 tile
oil and in ten minutes, save for ourselves,
the king, amt few attendants. the great
space was left clear.
White people, he said, ut passes in my
mind to kill ye. Glgool has spoken strange
words What say yc?"
| laughed. "iSe careful. Q king, we are
not So easy 10 Stay. Thou hast seen the fate
of the on; wouldst thou be rs the ox9''
eie king frowucd. at is not well TO
threaten king"
I'VE threaten not we speak what is true
Try 10 kill us kingi and learn"
The great man put hlS hand to his fore
head.
Go in peaca" he said at length. To
night is the great dance. Ye shall see it
Fear not that shall set snare for We. To-
morrow | shall think"
1T is well, king. answered, uncon-